Top 10 Spiritual Movies

Marcy and I love movies. Really. Love. Movies.

And I am not a movie snob. I love eye candy and adventure and silly comedy...all of it.

My criteria: There must be a plot. This seems minor and yet so many films do not have a plot. Not a real one that serves a purpose, that has some complexity, that is not predictable.

Another criteria: The dialogue must sound real. God. How many great actors have we watched recently just struggling to get the dialogue out of their mouths because the writers didn't give them anything to work with? It's embarrassing.

Recently, I was asked what my top ten spiritual films would be. (This is in response to a Skribit suggestion. Remember, you can suggest topics for Blisschick using the Skribit widget to the right.)

Sure, movies like What the Bleep Do We Know and Heal Your Life are decent little flicks. But they aren't real movies.

No. They aren't. They are informational, educational. And they do the job they set out to do very well.

But they are not an absorbing experience that transports you to a different time or place. They do not transport your imagination.

To make this list, I simply thought of the movies that inspired me deeply, movies that I want to watch over and over, movies that teach us something about the human spirit.

That is what a truly spiritual film should do. It should be more than a movie -- it should be art.

Here they are:

1. Kundun. This movie just happens to be about the Dalai Lama, but it is the stark beauty of it, the music, the journey that make it spiritual.

2. Amelie. The colors! And this film teaches us a bit about our connections. To say the least.

3. Frida. Again, the music alone is worth it. There is not much I can say about Frida. You just have to watch it if you haven't.

4. V for Vendetta. Okay. Wow. There is a scene in this film when Natalie Portman is having her head shaved and she is frightened. For this scene alone, she should have been given TEN oscars. Seriously. I have never seen such a naked and honest portrayal of deep fear in my entire life. Then, to top that off, there is a scene that follows her release (I won't say any more) and she is standing under the rain and all of life makes sense and it's all beautiful and I defy you not to cry.

5. Hero. A martial arts film. That may turn people off right off the bat. But it is the most stunning film in terms of cinematography probably ever made. Truly. You must watch it to believe it.

6. Strictly Ballroom. A movie full of love and persistence and spirit and dreams. A movie to fill your heart with the good stuff.

7. Edward Scissorhands. Yep. A remake of Frankenstein. A movie about our small mindedness.

8. Chocolat. The movie and the book are quite different and both are worth your time.

9. Lars & the Real Girl. This movie was overshadowed by Juno and it shouldn't have been. It is so much the better film in every way. This movie is about love and acceptance and our definitions of normal and community. I wish I could make everyone watch this.

10. Lord of the Rings. Sci-Fi, as I have said before, is often where all the really serious and big questions are being asked. Who are we? Why do we exist? What is our place in this Universe? We, being the geeks we are, own the extended length trilogy and watch it over and over and get something new each time.

What are your most inspirational and spiritual films?

(Photo & Text Copyright: Christine C. Reed, blisschick.net, 2009)